Please note that all AVA Online courses are hosted on THINKIFIC and are free to AVA Team Members.
AVA Foundation Courses
AVA Foundations Courses
This 1-hour introductory course on Adversity, Gender-Based Violence and Health presented by Dr. Nicole Letourneau and Dr. Kendra Nixon covers the following topics:
- ACES
- Family Violence
- Gender-Based Violence
- Root Causes
- Impacts on Girls’, Women’s and Gender-Diverse Peoples’ Health
- Prevention
- Policy
This is an in-depth course provided by the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative for anyone who wants to learn more about the science of brain development.
In this course, you will learn:
- Explain how brains develop and how social interactions shape development
- Describe the effects of stress on brain development, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on physical and mental health outcomes, including addiction
- Identify evidence-based approaches for children in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of childhood adversity
- Describe the basic neurobiology of both substance and process addiction
- Identify evidence-based approaches for adults in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of addiction
- Identify ways to build the foundations of resilience in children and families
This course contains 19 self-paced modules of approximately 30 hours of instruction time. More information on the course can be found here.
To watch a testimonial video about the importance and benefits of Brain Story Certification, click here.
This 1-hour introductory course on Implementation Science presented by Dr. Ian Graham covers the following topics:
- Evidence – Practice gaps
- Defining knowledge translation
- End-of-project knowledge translation
- Integrated knowledge translation
- Implementation Science – an introduction
This 1-hour introductory course presented by CCDI Consulting Inc., 2023, introduces core concepts and principles to help you establish foundational knowledge of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) and will help you explore the benefits of creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace and society. It also explores one of the most pervasive barriers to inclusion in the workplace and society – unconscious bias and you will learn to identify strategies to increase awareness and mitigate the impact of bias in the workplace.
Enrolment into this course requires a code, the code will appear below if you are logged in. Click here to log in.
AVA Intermediate Courses
AVA Intermediate Courses
This course is comprised of 4 sub-courses, each of which delves into specific aspects of family violence, legal challenges, and the intersections with various forms of abuse.
- Bridging the Gap Between the Needs of Survivors of Family Violence and the Realities of Family Court presented by Pamela Cross and Dr. Linda Baker for the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children
- Substance Use Coercion and IPV Survivors in Family Court presented by Dr. Carolle Warshaw, Breena Murray & Colleen Allan
- Litigation Abuse as a Form of Family Violence: Understanding the Concept and the Potential Harm presented by Breena Murray
- HELP Toolkit developed by the Department of Justice Canada (Supplementary)
The Healing Brain: Supporting Children from Trauma to Resilience, developed by Dr. Dawne Clark and the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, is a module-based, online course that participants can work through at their own pace. The training will give participants a better understanding of early childhood brain development, the impacts of trauma on children, and how to nurture resilience in children who have been exposed to domestic violence. Each module is directly linked to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, to inform the ways service providers work with children through a lens of reconciliation. The course is comprised of 6 modules. Each module is expected to take approximately 1 hour.
This course, presented by Dr. Alyson Campbell, is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the steps required to plan, execute, and sustain safe, successful, and high-quality program implementations within community settings.
Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores complex experiences Indigenous peoples face today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.
This course delves into the biological adaptations to life’s difficulties, exploring evidence from the fields of epigenetics and cognitive neuroscience. Imagine your body as a finely tuned instrument that adapts to adversity to better respond to challenges. Epigenetics, the study of molecular changes in our genes influenced by our experiences, reveals how our DNA can be dynamic to life’s ups and downs. Cognitive neuroscience, on the other hand, provides insights into how our brain processes and responds to these challenges. Together, these disciplines unveil the remarkable ways our biology copes with adversity, offering a deeper understanding of human resilience, a discussion of transgenerational effects of trauma, and the potential for interventions that promote well-being. This course is developed and presented by Dr. Sarah Merrill and Dr. Tayler Eaton.
This course is comprised of three sub-courses (below), each with a focus on understanding, addressing, and preventing intimate partner violence.
- Neighbours, Friends & Families: Working Together to End Abuse presented by the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children
- Stop Family Violence presented by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters
- Tech-facilitated Violence presented by Jane Bailey and Suzie Dunn
This course, developed and presented by Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht, covers the following topics related to Pathways to Health and Wellbeing:
- How psychological stress gets “under the skin” to affect health and well-being of children.
- The biological axes through which stress affects health and well-being.
- How interrupting or buffering stress can affect these processes.
- How prenatal mental health impacts infant development.
This comprehensive course, presented by Dr. Alyson Campbell, is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to assess and enhance an organization’s readiness for research endeavours. The course delves into the intricacies of integrating research seamlessly into organizational strategies and culture, fostering a collaborative and community-oriented approach.
The webinar for this course is presented by Dr. Caroline Piotrowski and Dr. Margherita Cameranesi.
The first half of this webinar provides a brief history of the study of resilience and an overview of current key definitions of resilience. The second half of this webinar presents relevant evidence on the individual and ecological factors and processes that promote people’s resilience.
This Canadian Institutes of Health Research training course delves into the intricacies of collecting primary data, with a specific focus on understanding and incorporating sex and gender considerations. Course participants will have the opportunity to explore the nuanced dynamics that influence data collection when working with human participants, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to research. Active engagement in this course will support course participants to build competency in navigating the complexities of sex and gender within the realm of primary data collection.
AVA Advanced Courses
Adult (Women and Gender-Diverse) Violence and Adversity Stream
The webinar for this course is presented by Dr. Peter Jaffe, Robynne Kazina & Justice Lore Mirwaldt.
Dr. Dominique Bernier & Daphnée B. Ménard present the webinar Family Law and Domestic Violence: Ethical Obligations of Judicial Actors.
Dr. Amy Fitzgerald & Dr. Rochelle Stevenson present the webinar Intimate Partner Violence, Animal Abuse, and Shelter: The Canadian Landscape.
The webinar for this course is presented by Stephanie Lanthier & Dr. Robin Mason and is designed to enhance diverse professionals’ knowledge about the commonly misunderstood reactions of survivors to sexual assault.
The webinar for this course, Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence, is provided by the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children.
Research has shown that professionals who respond to disclosures of sexual violence can significantly impact the health and safety of survivors. The goal of this training is to teach participants to respond to victims/survivors who disclose or report an experience of sexual violence in effective and supportive ways that will sustain support and intervention from that point forward. A range of critical issues are examined that affect positive relationship building and intervention from the moment a victim/survivor makes an initial disclosure or report.
This course is provided by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters.
The webinar for this course is presented by Dr. Leslie Tutty. The copious research on formal help-seeking of women abused by intimate partners rarely narrows to counselling services. This webinar outlines an analysis of data from the Healing Journey project which examined the opinions of 660 Canadian women from the prairie provinces about their use and impressions of several different forms of counseling such as shelter-based, general counselling, couples counselling, spiritual and counselling, and Indigenous approaches. Assessment and practice implications are described.
Child (Women and Gender-Diverse) Violence and Adversity Stream
The webinar for this course, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Mitigating the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences to Reduce Early Childhood Trauma, is presented by Dr. Lubna Anis.
In the webinar titled The Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) Parenting Program: Promising Findings and Future Plans, co-creator of the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) Parenting Program Dr. Nicole Letourneau, shares exciting findings and plans for the ATTACH™ Program. The ATTACH™ Program, based on successful research, is a parental education program that helps build healthy relationships through reflection and mentalization.
The terms ‘resilience’ and ‘resistance’ continue to be ‘buzzwords,’ but what do they really mean? In the webinar Building Resilience in Children Exposed to Violence: Broadening our Understanding from a Decolonizing and Social Justice Perspective presenters Dr. Ramona Alaggia, Ceane Dusyk & Dr. Roberta Timothy discuss how our current understanding of these terms, often at an individual level, fail to capture the roles of communities, systems, and movements in building resilience in children exposed to violence. Additionally, how resilience and resistance must come from a decolonizing and social justice lens and what this means for front-line service providers in their everyday work and policymakers at all levels is explored.
This course features the webinar Development and Health: Toxic Stress, Parent-Child Relationships and Attachment presented by Dr. Nicole Letourneau.
This course features the webinar Implementing Children’s Rights in Family Court in which presenters Dr. Margaret Jackson, Phyllis Kenney, the Honourable Donna Martinson, Suzette Narbonne & Judge Rose Raven consider the issue of how children’s rights in all family law court proceedings can be implemented effectively, with the involvement of independent legal representation for children, using the Eight Child Rights Safeguards/Guarantees which the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child states are necessary to do so.
The webinar in this course features panelists Lauren Irvine, Dr. Peter Jaffe, Selena Lai & Izzy Lebrun. More information about the panelists is available here.
Youth may experience coercive control and abuse in the context of adult intimate partner violence, divorce, and separation. It is essential to acknowledge and respect the rights, safety, and well-being of young people navigating such situations. In this Webinar, participants learn from the voices of three youth advocates as they describe their experiences with coercive control and abuse, and their subsequent experiences in the justice and service provision systems. Panelists offer recommendations for how service providers and the justice system can better support youth, respect their rights, and acknowledge them as whole persons.
This course includes the webinar Understanding Coercive Control Against Children: Impacts and Supportive Responses presented by Dr. Emma Katz & Catherine Lawler which focuses on coercive control, revealing the real motivations of partners who use it, and debunking the myths that surround this form of domestic abuse. It highlights the multiple ways that a person’s use of coercive control against their partner harms their children, and why we need to assess the parenting of those perpetrating this domestic abuse. Finally, the presentation focuses on practical communication skills that can be used with young children experiencing domestic abuse and coercive control. Catherine Lawler also shares some of her childhood experiences of domestic abuse and coercive control.
This course includes the webinar Understanding the Impact of Domestic Violence on Mother-Child Relationships: Supporting Mothers and their Children, presented by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters.
Research Readiness and Implementation Stream
The Harvard IDEAS Impact Framework is designed to drive transformative outcomes for young children and families facing adversity. This structured yet flexible approach facilitates program development, evaluation, and rapid iteration.
This self-guided toolkit is suitable for individuals involved in program development, implementation, or evaluation for children and families. It goes beyond conventional approaches by leveraging existing research and development tools in innovative ways. The toolkit is designed for both individual and team use, with suggested activities that encourage collaborative learning. Past users have hailed from diverse backgrounds, including community-based organizations, early childhood startups, non-profits, philanthropic organizations, and academic settings. The Harvard IDEA Impact Framework sets a higher standard for achieving excellence in the field, offering a pathway to breakthrough outcomes through a systematic and adaptable approach.
This course includes the webinar Integrated Knowledge Translation: Using a Practical Approach to Identify and Engage Knowledge Users featuring Laura McAlpine & Dr. Gabrielle Zimmerman.
The webinar for this course, Principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP) for Work with Indigenous peoples features Dr. Kharah Ross.
The webinar for this course, Policy within the Community Health Context: The COVID-19 Example, is presented by Carrie Collier.
The webinar for this course, Qualitative Methods and Normalization Process Theory, is presented by Dr. Lubna Anis, Dr. Nicole Letourneau & Dr. Kendra Nixon.
In the webinar for this course, Dr. Ian Graham reviews the concept of research coproduction (integrated knowledge translation) as well as presents evidence supporting the value of research coproduction.
In the webinar for this course, Dr. Caroline Piotrowski outlines the importance of using a trauma-informed approach to research through defining basic trauma-informed principles, sharing an example of trauma-informed research in action and providing an opportunity for discussion about the design and implementation of trauma-informed research protocols.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Stream
In the webinar for this course, Jenna MacKay explores the critical intersections of trauma-informed care within the context of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) (n.d.) define cultural humility as “a lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique whereby the individual not only learns about another’s culture, but one starts with an examination of her/his own beliefs and cultural identities.” In this course, offered by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters, participants explore the concept of cultural humility, fostering a deeper understanding of diverse cultural perspectives.
In the webinar for this course, Dr. Percy Lezard and participants delve into the specific challenges and experiences of Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer individuals facing gender-based violence.
In the webinar for this course, Dr. Rashelle Litchmore and participants delve into the critical issue of gender-based violence in school settings, with a specific focus on the intersectional experiences of Black-Canadian girls.
In this Webinar, expert panelists Sabrine Azraq, Yasmin Hussain & Yasmine Youssef discuss experiences of gender-based violence (GBV) in the lives of Muslim women across Canada. Panelists explore the intersections of GBV and Islamophobia, barriers to accessing culturally-informed supports and services, and impacts on the health and wellbeing of survivors. Lastly, panelists share the many ways that Muslim women stand up and resist acts of violence and oppression in their everyday lives. More information about the panelists is available here.
In this course, provided by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters, participants learn about colonial history and delve into crucial Indigenous perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural context.
In the webinar for this course, several contributors and the editors of the recently published third edition of Cruel But Not Unusual: Violence in Families in Canada explore the concept of intentionally marginalized communities in relation to their work and experiences with Black communities, non-status, refugee, and immigrant women, and children and youth in care. What does the concept mean and how does it play out? What are these communities experiencing and are our systems helping and/or causing further harm? What are these communities and advocates doing to bring about change and how can we support them? These and other questions are explored in a lively panel discussion with Dr. Ramona Alaggia, Dr. Rupaleem Bhuyan, Dr. Melanie Doucet, Dr. Roberta Timothy & Cathy Vine.
Canada’s family courts are confronted with cases involving complex cultural contexts and challenging family dynamics. The family justice system often enters the realm of resolving Canada’s multicultural puzzle and is tasked with making decisions regarding complex overlapping issues and facts within a legislative framework. In the webinar for this course, panelists Jael Duarte, Kamaljit Kaur Lehal & Archana Medhekar examine the relationship between the competing interests within the family court system as there continues to be the need for systemic change of the family dispute resolution system that designs justice for sustainable family conflict resolution.
More information about the panelists is available here.
This course is provided by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters and was developed with the help of Tasneem Vali from the Manitoba Islamic Association and Natasha Ali from the Manitoba Islamic Association and the University of Manitoba.
The course Supporting Muslim Women in Intimate Partner and Family Violence Shelters: An Introduction to Culturally Relevant Services is provided by the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters and was created with the help of Tasneem Vali from the Manitoba Islamic Association.
The webinar for this course features Dr. Patrina Duhaney and identifies trauma and violence informed frameworks that are both relevant and responsive to the intersecting realities in Black women’s lives. It also offers strategies to help foster cross-sector and multi-disciplinary collaborations to expand and enhance initiatives and institutional responses to support Black women who are victimized and criminalized.
In the webinar for this course, Zakary-Georges Gagné (she/they) discusses the role that organizations or institutions offering care or support have in the creation of welcoming and intersectional spaces for gender diverse peoples, with specific attention to French-language spaces.
